Barolli had by this time interviewed Olga’s husband, who, although unpleasant, was obviously a sick man, as he was gasping for breath during the entire interview. He did not own a white Transit van but drove a small ex — Royal Mail van carrying three workers used for decorating and all the various cleaning equipment and materials. His English was not too bad, but he constantly had to use a puffer to help his breathing. Barolli discounted him, doubting that he would have the strength to strangle or rape a young woman, let alone give his own wife a seeing-to.
As the train came into Leeds station, Anna was standing by the door, ready to jump out. Her heart was racing, and when she saw Ken waiting behind the barrier, she ran to him. She dropped her overnight bag as he scooped her up into his arms. She had never experienced such a strong feeling. It was like being a teenager, and she wanted nothing more than to stay close to him and not have to go to the secure unit.
Ken’s flat was part of a complex used by officers working at the prison. A small building with ten modern flats, it had little to endear it, as it was like a square cinder block. His flat was spotless but sparse, with one bedroom, a lounge, a kitchen, and a bathroom. He had made no effort to personalize it, admitting that he intended to stay there only until he could afford to put a deposit down on his own place. He had, however, stocked the fridge with steaks and salad and smoked salmon. There was also a bottle of pinot grigio chilling for Anna, among the cartons of fruit drinks and health foods.
He brewed up fresh coffee, and they had some croissants with his mother’s homemade jam, and then he led her into the bedroom. It, too, was devoid of anything personal. However, the bed was covered with a cheerful yellow duvet and matching pillowcases. There were no pictures, but Anna could see a stack of Harley-Davidson magazines, and in a small bookcase were his books on psychology and numerous autobiographies. The one thing he had spent money on was a large plasma-screen television; beneath it was a stack of DVDs.
Anna placed her toiletries in his white-tiled bathroom, where there was a pile of white bath towels and matching hand towels, a laundry basket, and a pair of rope sandals with a big white terry-cloth dressing gown. She liked putting her toothbrush in the holder beside his. Out of curiosity, she opened the small glass-fronted bathroom cabinet. It contained some aftershave, an electric shaver, and two fresh tubes of toothpaste. Anna didn’t know the name of the aftershave she liked on Ken; she picked up an orange glass bottle with a wide silver top and couldn’t help smiling: it was Clinique Happy for men.
When she came out of the bathroom, Ken was lying on top of the duvet, waiting for her.
“I’m on duty at two,” he said, “off again at five. You can use the car I collected you in to come back here when you are through with Welsh, and I’ll walk — it’s not that far.”
Anna flopped down beside him, and he immediately hooked his arm around her, drawing her close. “I don’t know if I can get the next weekend off, so this is a bonus,” he said.
They kissed, and she didn’t want to move out of his arms. “I missed you,” she said softly.
He rolled away from her and then leaned up on his elbow, looking down into her face. “I don’t know whether it is the right time to tell you this...”
She felt her heart thud. What was he going to tell her? That he was with someone else, engaged, had a girlfriend — that this was just a passing thing and not to get too serious?
“I’ve never felt like this about anyone,” he said instead. “It’s probably too soon, and I’m no good at this kind of stuff, but you are suddenly the most important thing in my life.”
She wanted to burst into tears; it was the most perfect thing anyone had ever said to her. She cupped his face in her hands, telling him, “I feel the same way. I can’t stop smiling, and I chose not to drive so I’d have more time to spend with you.”
They kissed passionately and then made love, and they would have gone on loving each other, but Anna knew she had to get to the secure unit in the time allocated. They showered together, and he would have taken her again, but she yelled that she had wet her hair and had to get it dried before she left.
She had never felt so unselfconscious and free. He plugged in his hair dryer for her and watched as she attempted to coax her hair into some semblance of a style, but she’d forgotten to bring her big roller brush. He sat on the edge of the bath as she reapplied her makeup.
“You look even more beautiful,” he said as she dropped the bath towel, ready to get dressed. He couldn’t resist taking her in his arms and smothering her with kisses.
By the time they had driven into the prison compound and Anna had passed over her ID, he had to hurry to the secure unit, while she went to pay a cordial visit to the prison governor. She was so happy that she didn’t mind sitting in his office and even accepted coffee and biscuits.
Hardwick was as long-winded as ever, and she was surprised only when he brought up Langton’s name, saying that he felt Langton would make an excellent commander, as his interest in prison reform was on a par with his own. She nodded her agreement, suddenly understanding why Langton had spent so much time with the governor. As with everything in his life, there was a hidden agenda. Then she recalled Barolli’s comment that Langton was in the running for deputy commissioner.
Anna had requested that Welsh remain in his cell with the door closed as she felt safer that way.
Entering the unit, Anna glanced over at Ken, who gave her a small formal nod and a secret wink as the other officers went down the aisle to tell Cameron that his visitor was ready to see him. Anna waited, aware of Ken and aware of the other inmates walking around the unit. Two went out into the exercise yard, but they kept their eyes on Anna. She was relieved when she was told that she could proceed down the aisle to Cameron’s cell. A chair had been placed outside. Cameron was sitting, as usual, facing out. He was wearing his hair drawn back in a ponytail, a white collarless shirt, and jeans.
“Good afternoon, Detective Travis,” he said with a smile that didn’t reach his brooding eyes.
“Good afternoon, Mr. Welsh. Thank you for agreeing to see me again.”
“I’ve been looking forward to it. I think about you all the time. You occupy my dreams, my every waking hour.”
“I thought I might give you an update on our case and see if you have any insights that may assist our inquiry.”
“How very kind of you. What have you done to your hair?”
Anna touched her hair, a little unnerved. “I just washed it.”
“How could you have done that if you drove here?”
“I came on the train.”
“So when did you wash your hair?”
She pursed her lips. “Can we discuss the reason I am here rather than anything personal, please?”
“Are you staying at a hotel?”
“No. I am returning to London.”
“You seem different.”
“Mr. Welsh, I will walk away in one minute.”
“Very well, Detective Travis, you may begin.”
Anna took a deep breath and outlined the Polish connection; she informed him that they now knew all their victim’s identities, which included the new case of the girl found wrapped in a blue blanket. He listened intently and without interruption, as she said that although they had paid close attention to his suggestions, they still had no connection between the three Polish victims and Margaret Potts, and that they had interviewed everyone who knew her again, but without any result. She also explained that the Polish girls were working for a domestic cleaning agency but at different times. It was possible that they might have known each other, but the main problem for the police was that they could not discover where the girls had moved on to, so they couldn’t question anyone who would have information.